Bag holder



A. C. ABBOTT Nov. 5, 1940.

BAG HOLDER Filed Nov. 1, 1937 Patented Nov. 5, 1940 PATENT OFFICE2,220,632 BAG HOLDER Ambrose 0. Abbott, Los Angeles, Calif.; Florence M.Abbott executrix of Ambrose Abbott, deceased, assignor to SouthlandPaper Converting Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation ofCalifornia Application November 1, 1937, Serial No. 172,273

2 Claims.

This invention relates to packaging mechanism and has particularreference to a device for facilitating the packaging of large, bulkyobjects such as mattresses, box springs, etc. The invention is notbroadly novel, apparatus of this general type having been described andillustrated in a patent to S. L. Ginsberg No. 1,985,163.

The invention involves distinct improvements over the mechanism thereindisclosed. One object of the invention is to render the package or bagopening members of greater utility by so constructing and arranging theparts thereof that interchangeable units may be used to ban-- dle bagswith various sized openings. It is a particular object of the inventionto render this interchangeability available with minimum efiort and lossof time, thereby facilitating efiective and economic use of themechanism as a whole.

A further object of the invention is to so construct and arrange thecooperating units of the bag holding assembly that they not onlyfunction to guide the merchandise to be packaged into the mouth of thebag but also to grip the open bag during the loading operation withoutrisk of tearing the same. Due to the large stresses and strains createdduring the loading of such large articles of merchandise, it isessential that the open mouth of the bag be gripped firmly over asubstantial area.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the interchangeableparts comprising the bag holder mechanism that there is no risk oftearing the merchandise being loaded.

Various other objects and meritorious features of the invention will beapparent from the following description taken in conjunction with thedrawing, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout theseveral figures, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective of the entire loading mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the bag opening mechanism;

Fig. 3 is an outside perspective of a bag holding member;

Fig. 4 is an inside perspective of a bag holding member, and

Fig. 5 is a section along 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the form illustrated the bag holding mechanism is mounted adjacentone extremity of a horizontal support l0 adapted to receive themerchandise to be loaded. This support may be in the form of a table oran endless conveyor. Adjacent the end of the horizontal support is aninclined support l2 for seating a bag I3 into Which merchandise is to beloaded.

The bag holding mechanism is secured adjacent the end of horizontalsupport l0 by means of brackets l4 and I6. Guide rod I8 is fixedlypositioned by the two brackets and operating rod 20 is rotatablyjournaled therein. The operating rod is reversely threaded at itsrespective ends as indicated at 22 and 24, the thread at-each endextending rather close to the center of the rod to permit maximumlateral travel of the bag holders. An operating handle 26 is attached toone end of rod 20.

The bag holding members per se each comprise an arm 28 having a threadedbore 30 as well as a smooth bore 32 spaced somewhat from the former.This arm supports a wing-shaped bracket 34, the inner face at least ofwhich is smooth as indicated at 35-. The outer longitudinal edge of thebracket is flared as at 36 to facilitate guiding the merchandise intothe open mouth of the bag. The metal of bracket 34 adjacent the edgeopposite the flared edge is thickened as indicated at 38 to permit acountersink provided with a groove 40 extending around its outerperiphery.

A bag engaging member 42 is detachably secured to bracket 34 by means ofan extension 44 provided with a tongue extending around its peripheryadapted to be slidably received within the groove 40. The bag engagingmember may be retained in place after being properly positioned withreference to bracket 34 by any suitable means such as a screw 46. It isimportant that the extremity of such retaining means as screw 46 doesnot extend inwardly beyond the inner smooth face of extension 44, which,together with the inside face of the bag engaging member, issubstantially coplanar with the inside face of bracket 34, therebyforming a smooth surface which will not engage or tear the merchandiseas it slides transversely thereacross when being pushed into the bag.

The outer face of bag engaging member 42 is ribbed as indicated at 48and the upper and lower extremities thereof are flared inwardly asindicated at 50. In the particular form illustrated the bracket 34 ispositioned at an angle to supporting arm 28. The smooth bore 32 in saidarm is adapted to receive guide rod l8 and threaded bore 30 movesinwardly and outwardly along operating rod 22 as the latter is rotatedby means of handle 26. Due to the angularity pointed out, the bracketsl4 and I6 may be positioned upon a substantially vertical support, asfor instance the vertical legs 52 of supporting member ID, and the bagengaging members will extend substantially parallel to the inclined bagseating member I2.

It is also to be noted that the bracket 34, which constitutes a guidemember, overlies the horizontal support In Whereas the other element ofthe composite assembly, the bag engaging member 42, extends therebeyondand overlies the inclined bag supporting seat l2 in substantiallyparallel relationship. The lower edge 31 of wingshaped bracket 34 isadapted to lie in close proximity with the upper surface of horizontalsupport ID to thus effectuate an eificient guide into the open mouth ofthe bag. The smooth inner faces of bracket 34 and bag engaging member42, the said surfaces being substantially coplanar, prevent themerchandise from being damaged as it slides from its supporting surfaceinto the open mouth of the bag. The bag mouth is subjected toconsiderable tension in order to hold it open during the loading of suchheavy, cumbersome merchandise. Ribs 48 prevent slippage of the bag withreference to the bag engaging member, maintaining a firm grip withouttearing the bag and thereby weakening the structure.

The detachability of bag engaging members 42 from brackets 34 permitsuse of different sized members, adapting the mechanism to bags ofvarious sizes dependent on varying dimensions of the merchandise to beloaded. By reason of the flares 59 on bag engaging member 42 no sharpsurfaces are presented to the bag While opening stress is being exertedthereon, while the longitudinal flare 36 on the bracket 34 assistsmaterially in guiding the merchandise into the open mouth of the bag.The combination renders the loading of cumbersome and bulky articles avery simple procedure, speeds up the loading operation without risk ofdamage to the merchandise or bag, and provides a wide range ofadaptability to various types of merchandise of different sizes. Havingthus described the invention, various modifications thereof will beapparent to those skilled in the art and for that reason I wish to limitmyself only within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Mechanism of the class described comprising a substantiallyhorizontal support, an inclined support terminating adjacent the end ofthe horizontal support, brackets secured intermediate the two supports,a guide rod supported in substantially horizontal position by saidbrackets, an operating rod reversely threaded adjacent its extremitiesrotatably journaled by said brackets in substantially parallel relationto said guide rod, supporting arms positioned by said guide andoperating rods for movement therealong, and a bag holding assemblysupported by each of said arms, said assembly including a guide memberoverlapping at its base the horizontal support and a' bag engagingmember extending in overlying relation with said inclined support anddetachably secured to said guide member.

2; Mechanism of the class described comprising a substantiallyhorizontal support, brackets secured adjacent the edge of said support,a guide rod supported in substantially horizontal position by saidbrackets, an operating rod reversely threaded adjacent its extremitiesrotatably journaled by said brackets in substantially parallel relationto said guide rod,- asuppor-ting arm havingunthreadedand threadedapertures mounted on said guide and operating rods at opposite endsthereof, and a bag holding assembly supported by each of said arms, eachassembly comprising a guide bracket for contacting merchandise integralwith and extending away from the arm, said bracket including a flaredlongitudinal edge overlying at its base the horizontal support andextending upwardly and away therefrom, an offset on the-inside'face ofsaid bracket extending inthe direction of said flare, and a bag engagingmember including a bag engaging portion and an extension detachablyseated in the offset portion of said bracket to thereby provide theassembly with a continuous smooth inner surface, said bag engagingportion being flared at opposite ends in a directionppposite to theflare on said guide bracket.

H .AMBROSE C. ABBOTT.

